Pathfinder III
Four months from today, we start the Great Divide Route. Our group will follow the Continental Divide from the Mexican boarder to the Canadian boarder. 2700 miles in 16+- days. #adventureisneccessary #outfitandexplore
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Continental Divide 2021
- Thread starter Kent R
- Start date
Advocate I
Morning Kent,
I mountain biked the top half of the GDMBR in the early part of this century, Canada to Silverthorne, over several years as vacation allowed. It was great, until I crashed, but that's not my point. Just my creds.
In the 90's among cyclists there used to be a saying; There are 3 ways to bicycle tour, 1) stop and smell the roses and take pictures, 2) stop and smell the roses, 3) what roses?
It looks like you have around 170mi average planned per day. That's doable in a car. Just don't loose sight of the journey to check off another bucket list item.
Stop at Crystal Park and dig for crystals, if Elkhorn Hot Springs is open, stop and soak, swim in the lakes, Take the hike down to Clearwater Lake, visit the Big Hole in Butte, see the Tie Hack Memorial, if you have a freezer take some popscicles to hand out to overheated cyclist!
I mountain biked the top half of the GDMBR in the early part of this century, Canada to Silverthorne, over several years as vacation allowed. It was great, until I crashed, but that's not my point. Just my creds.
In the 90's among cyclists there used to be a saying; There are 3 ways to bicycle tour, 1) stop and smell the roses and take pictures, 2) stop and smell the roses, 3) what roses?
It looks like you have around 170mi average planned per day. That's doable in a car. Just don't loose sight of the journey to check off another bucket list item.
Stop at Crystal Park and dig for crystals, if Elkhorn Hot Springs is open, stop and soak, swim in the lakes, Take the hike down to Clearwater Lake, visit the Big Hole in Butte, see the Tie Hack Memorial, if you have a freezer take some popscicles to hand out to overheated cyclist!
Last edited:
Pathfinder III
PM sent
The Roach ...
Rank IV
Member III
did Pie NM to a bit north of Silverton Colo. last year in my f250. kid got altitude sick and had to come back. I might be in ... this year in Defender 110 or Land cruiser... depending on where the LC's build is at. anyone taking a trailer?
Pathfinder III
Our group has been full for some time. But if you want when we get done I can send you the GPX file. We would have gone last year but our plans got changed by Covid.
The Roach ...
Rank IV
Member III
thanks I have mine from last year
Traveler II
16 days to complete the route seems grueling. I have no doubt it could be driven in that amount of time, but you will constantly be pushing it hard each day and missing so much. If you add another week to your travel itinerary and take the time to soak in the sites/sights and smells, I think the journey will be more fulfilling.
Pathfinder III
Great, ours is based on Kevins GPS file but honed in more on the dirt trails very close to the divide.
The Roach ...
Rank IV
Member III
there are a few places in my files the road is more boulder trail... but it is RIGHT on the divide line.. the black tubing put in is tight next to the trail. the new mexico part is interesting... but after three days we were begging to see SOME form of water. lol
Member III
That looks like an amazing trip! I feel there is something to be said about taking your time and taking in the sights, but generally I'm down for hauling ass on the trail all day, so 150-250 miles a day isn't a lot IMO. My only comment is when trying to hit that mileage and pace in the dirt is to not push the trucks too hard... Shocks, control arm bushings, mounts and so on really start taking a beating when doing trails at speed.
Explorer I
I've been planning a solo trip myself. That's pretty much how I roll most of the time. I do this to be away from people and commune with nature. I'd be super interested in knowing your route. I was planning on leaving Southern California in the 3rd week of July and taking whatever time it takes to go from the Mex border to Banff NP. I was planning about a month to do it all, including both legs to and from home. Question for y'all: What tools did you use to map your trail? I'd appreciate whatever intel you guys have come up with. I know there is no avoiding pavement on this trip, but I'd like to log as many miles in the dirt as possible. If you're using either GAIA maps or Magellan TRX, I have both if convenient to share. I'll be posting pictures along the way. Will be traveling with my wife and dog. Should be an epic journey. Also, for those of you who have done this, I'm assuming during the time of year we'll be traveling that there will be plenty of other folks doing the same thing. Going solo can be risky sometimes depending on the trail, but I'm thinking...not that risky. Penny for your thoughts. Based on what I've heard, there's a pretty good number of folks out doing the same thing and if I were to break down, chances are someone would happen by assuming we're not too far off the beaten path.
Pathfinder III
See PM
Advocate I
Check out Adventure Cycling; Discover What Awaits
Influencer III
Which crystal mountain, Colorado or Idaho?
Advocate I
Crystal Park , not Mtn, I changed my post.
Explorer I
Thanks for your tip. I really appreciate it. I'm reading up on just about anything Continental Divide. Having some fun mapping out my route on GAIA Maps and my Magellan TRX7 as a back up. I usually just point and go. This planning stuff takes a lot of time. But I am interested in making the best of the time I have, so points of interest are high on my list of places to stop by along the way...even if they're a little out of the way. I have been watching YouTube videos of the MTB race from Banff NP to Mexico. So much of it is single track and not 4WD compatible, but I will have my moto in tow, so I'll be able to do some exploring from my base camps should time permit. Much thanks again!!
Pathfinder III
If anyone is interested in following along on our InReach track we start the trail on July 27 at Crazy Cook Monument in NM and end in Montana at the Canadian border.
Garmin Explore™
Manage your Garmin Explore or inReach account. With Explore and inReach, you can communicate, map, track, and share your trek from anywhere on Earth.
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